Packing core for earth dams



April 9, 1935. F. coLLoRlo v PACKING CORE FOR EARTH DAMS Filed March 20,1953 Patented Apr. 1935 w a i 't 1,997,132

UNITED STATES PATENT Lo-FFIc 1 Application March 20, 1933, Serial No.661,827

In Germany November14, 1930 7 Claims. (CI. 6131) This invention relatesto a -core for earth dams, maybe controlled. Should it be found afterparticularly retaining dams. V 7 years of operation that the material ofthe walls The safety of earth dams is determined, above ;is, rotten andfull of cracks, or if other reaall, by their permeability to water, andspecial sons make it desirable, the filler b lying between attention istherefore paid-to making them tight the walls'may be consolidated by theinjection 5 by providing a special tightening core in the of cement orflushing with loam. The stiffening center thereof, especially in case ofhigh dams. of the core due to this consolidation will not The existingkinds of cores made of sheet iron, cause any trouble, since the damlayers have concrete or reinforced concrete and constructed suficientlysettled and the stiff core will be ca- 10 either solid or hollow withcontrol passages and pable of taking up the correspondingly reduced 10shafts surfer from the drawback that they do motions of the dam. Asshown in Fig. 2, the not sufficiently respond to the motions of freshlower ends of the opposite metallic walls a are embankments caused bywater pressure with the seated in the masonrybase g embedded in theresult that crevices appear which might endanearth foundation f of thedam. The masonry ger the entire dam construction. To guard base, whenused, stiffens the foundation of the 5 against this possibilityhorizontal motion joints dam to withstand excessive pressure. have beenprovided for such cores, but this con- The tight elastic walls of whichthe packing struction too has failed to insure perfect packcore iscomposed may consist, for example, of ing. I iron, steel or other metalsin the form of sheets,

The invention eliminates the defects men-' corrugated sheets, groovedplates, sheet piles 20 tioned by providing a core consisting of two andthe like, or they may be composed of several or more tight elastic wallswhich though closematerials acting in conjunction with one another,

'ly connected with the building ground are not a few examples of thembeing iron or steel interconnected, the space between every twosucfabric with rough plastering of suitable cementicessive walls beingoccupied byapermeable filler. 'tious material; brick or concrete stonewalls 25 In the drawing two embodiments of the invenwith ironinsertions; or fibrous tissues, such as tion are shown. Figures 1 and 2show respeccanvas or cotton cloth saturated with bitumen. tivelycross-sections of the two embodiments of As permeable fillers for thespace between two the dam. v walls arranged one behind the other mayserve,

In the figures a designates the elastic thin for instance, sand, gravel,broken stones, broken 30 walls of the core of the dam, between which isbricks, stratified layers of quarry stone, bricks, disposed the fillerb. Between the core walls or concrete stones. and Within the fill a e ad the Control Besides the advantages mentioned, a core con- Da S S a e-011 pp Sides o the struction according to the invention involves the m ce are t e op e bankm ts d and 6 further advantage of a considerablereduction in 35 of the dam material, heaped on the foundation costcompared with known concrete cores. J. As shown in Fig. i, thefoundation is en- I laim; tirely of t as Shewn in a masonry 1. A packingcore for earth dams and the like, base 9 is p d d for t Gore, eremainder consisting of at least two water impermeable and 40 of theoundat b g of e elastic walls arragned with a space between them 40 Theelastic thin Wells 66 are Capable of O within the dam and beingunconnected with one lowing t ot s o the embankment d, 6 t another, thesaid walls projecting with their lower out causing destruction of theirstructure, notportion int-, the building ground and being fixedwithstanding the fact that these motions are t the ame, and a waterpermeable filler in the quite considerable especially during the initialspace between the said walls. 45 operating period according to thechanging wa 2. A packing core for earth dams and the like, te l v Ow othe d ep foundation of the consisting of at least two water impermeableand walls and the enlargement of the foundation elastic walls arrangedwith a space between them sole of the dam, excessive shearing stressesare within the dam and being unconnected with one avoided at the fixingpoin s o he walls which another, the said walls consisting of sheet iron50 may besufiiciently spaced apart, to provide room and projecting withtheir lower portion'into the for the passage c. By means of this passagebuilding ground and being fixed to the same, the interior of the corecan be inspected to asand a water permeable filler in the space betweencertain the condition of the iron walls a and the said walls.

the filling b, so that deterioration of the core 3. A packing core forearth dams and the like,

4. A packing, core for earth dams and the like, 7

consisting of atleast two water impermeable and elastic walls arrangedwith a space between them within the dam and being unconnected with oneanother, the said walls consisting of sheet iron and projecting withtheir lower portion into the building ground and being fixed to thesame; and a water permeable filler in the space betweenthe said wallsconsisting of sand.

5. A packing core for earth damsand the like,

consisting of at least two water impermeable and elastic walls arrangedwith a space between them within the dam and being unconnected with oneanother, the said walls consisting of sheet iron and projecting'with'their lower portion into the building ground and being fixed to thesame, and a water permeable filler in the space between the said wallsconsisting of a gravel.

6. A packing core for earth dams and the like, consisting of at leasttwo water impermeable and elastic walls arranged with a space betweenthem within the dam and being unconnected with one another, the saidwalls consisting of sheet iron and projecting with their lower portioninto the building ground and being fixed to the same and a waterpermeable filler in the space between the said walls consisting ofbroken stones.

portion into a recess of the building ground to which they are anchoredand extending with their upper edge at least to the surface of the dam,and a Waterpermeable filler in the space between the said walls.

- 1 FELIX COLLORIO.

